Buddleja plant named ‘Burncross’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Buddleja  plant named ‘Burncross’, characterized by its low growing, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; green and yellow green variegated leaves; violet blue-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Buddleja hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BURNCROSS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Buddlejaplant, botanically known as Buddleja hybrid and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Burncross’.

The new Buddleja plant originated from an open-pollination in an outdoornursery in Moor House, North Yorks, United Kingdom, of an unnamedselection of Buddleja hybrid, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unknown selection of Buddleja hybrid as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Buddleja plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of thestated open-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment inMoor House, North Yorks, United Kingdom in July, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Buddleja plant by cuttings in acontrolled environment in Moor House, North Yorks, United Kingdom sinceJuly, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Buddlejaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Buddleja have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Burncross’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Burncross’as a new and distinct Buddleja plant:

-   -   1. Low growing, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Green and yellow green variegated leaves.    -   3. Violet blue-colored flowers.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Buddleja differ from plants of the female parentselection primarily in leaf coloration.

Plants of the new Buddleja can be compared to plants of Buddleja‘Harlequin’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of thenew Buddleja and ‘Harlequin’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja were more compact than plants of        ‘Harlequin’.    -   2. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Harlequin’ differed in leaf        coloration.    -   3. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Harlequin’ differed in flower        coloration.

Plants of the new Buddleja can also be compared to plants of Buddlejadavidii ‘Santana’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,383. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Santana’differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Santana’ differed in leaf        coloration.    -   2. Plants of the new Buddleja and ‘Santana’ differed in flower        coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Buddleja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Buddleja plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Burncross’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typicalinflorescence of ‘Burncross’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in one-galloncontainers in an outdoor nursery in Lancaster, Pa. under commercialpractice. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 21° C. to 38° C. and night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27°C. Plants were pinched one time and were six months old when thephotographs and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Buddleja hybrid ‘Burncross’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Buddleja            hybrid, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Buddleja            hybrid, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots plant, summer.—About 10 days at            21° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots plant, winter.—About three months at            21° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About two months at            21° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About six months at            5° C. to 8° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; close to            158B in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Deciduous perennial shrub; low growing,            outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; very broad            inverted triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 27 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 58 cm by 76 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: About seven primary lateral            branches with multiple secondary lateral branches per plant.            Length: About 40 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length:            About 2.7 cm to 3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture, developing            stems: Pubescent. Texture, mature stems: Smooth, glabrous.            Color, developing: Close to 145A. Color, mature: Close to            N199B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 5.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; slightly rugose.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent, lanulose; slightly            rugose.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate and reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Random sectors of            close to 137A, 148C and 150D. Developing leaves, lower            surface: Random sectors of close to 147C, 147D and 145D.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Random sectors of            close to 137A, 146D and 150D; venation, close to 147B. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Random sectors of close to            148B, 147D and 149D; venation, close to 147C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 146D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single small salverform            flowers arranged on terminal panicles; flowers face mostly            outwardly; panicles relatively short and roughly conical in            shape; freely flowering habit with about 102 flowers per            inflorescence and about 14 inflorescences per plant.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; sweet, violet-like.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering throughout            the late summer into the autumn in Pennsylvania; plants            begin flowering about 12 to 13 weeks after planting.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about five days on            the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Oblong. Color: Close to 97A.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 4.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.7 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1.1 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—Close to 1 mm.        -   Flower tube length.—Close to 8 mm.        -   Flower tube diameter, at the base.—Close to 1.5 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four in a single            whorl; petals fused into a narrow tube. Lobe length: About            3 mm. Lobe width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Roughly spatulate.            Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Erosulate; slightly crinkled. Texture,            upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:            Scattered pubescence. Texture, throat: Pubescent. Texture,            tube: Scattered pubescence. Color: Developing petals, upper            surface: Close to 92A. Developing petals, lower surface:            Close to 91B. Fully expanded petals, upper surface: Close to            91A; towards the throat, a small ring, close to 158B;            venation, close to 91A. Fully expanded petals, lower            surface: Close to 91B, venation, close to 91B. Throat: Close            to 163A; venation, close to 163A. Tube: Close to 91C,            venation, close to 91C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four in a single            whorl, fused towards the base into a short tube. Length:            About 4 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:            Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper            surface: Close to 145A. Color, lower surface: Close to 148C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:            Close to 145B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.            Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            four; filaments adnate to the corolla throat. Filament            length: About 2.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther            shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:            Close to 194D. Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma            shape: Oval. Stigma color: Close to 194A. Style length:            About 1 mm. Style color: Close to 194D. Ovary color: Close            to 145B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance:

Plants of the new Buddleja have been not been observed to be resistantto pathogens and pests common to Buddleja.

-   Garden performance:

Plants of the new Buddleja have been observed to have good gardenperformance and tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about−15° C. to about 38° C.

1. A new and distinct Buddleja plant named ‘Burncross’ as illustratedand described.